Let's Dance
by foolishmundanes
Summary: New York, 1920. The Herondale family go to a Shadowhunter party, and dancing and memories ensue. Post-TLH. One shot.


**1920**

Tessa felt a burst of excitement as a new song had started to play. Automatically, she looked over at her son who was standing somewhat awkwardly against the wall. He was always shy during parties, usually talking with his _parabatai_ and sharing inside jokes with him. He was not one to be extremely social. Jessamine, Tessa thought, would be disappointed in him.

They were at another Shadowhunter party, everyone meeting at New York. They were celebrating the spring weather, sort of like how they celebrate winter and Christmas. It was nice to visit the place she's lived in for so long. She never realized how much she missed the hustle and bustle of New York, but she had become so used to the quieter and calmer London.

"Jamie," Tessa said. He looked up at her, his golden eyes gleaming. "Why aren't you dancing?"

He tilted his head to look over to his left where Cordelia Carstairs and Lucie Herondale were chatting rapidly like little girls, blocking out the rest of the world. Tessa stifled a laugh, and looked back at James. "Here, take my hand. We can dance," she offered brightly.

James sent her a pointed look. "_Mother…_"

She blinked, and then shook her head. "Oh, don't tell me you're embarrassed to dance with the woman who gave birth to you. We're at a party, don't be so shy," she said, outstretching her arm.

He sighed, and uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck. "But…"

"But?" Her blue-gray eyes twinkled.

James looked like he'd given up. "Fine." He took her hand and they walked to the dance floor, Tessa's silky dress flowing against her calves as she walked. The attire was much different than the Victorian dresses she used to wear that were so restricting and those tight corsets. Now she felt loose and free.

Tessa absolutely loved the Roaring Twenties. Everything was so full of life and energy and exuberance. Everything was so _liberating_. It was a fresh breath of air to everyone.

She and her son reached the dance floor. To everyone else, it would probably look like James and Tessa were some couple, him being a few years older than her. It saddened her knowing that she looked younger in appearance. If someone compared Lucie and Tessa together, they'd look like sisters, Lucie being the eldest. The thought of immortality had never struck Tessa until she watched as her children grow up, and with her staying the same.

Will had grown, too. He was now fifty-nine years old. To Tessa, though, he was still the same Will she started loving about forty years ago. His looks hadn't really changed much other than the few wrinkles and lines of age. He still had those luminous violet-blue eyes and the tousled dark hair, though now with very faint streaks of gray. When they saw Jem, though—or Brother Zachariah—he would do this thing where he'd light up like a little boy on Christmas morning, and he looked like one too.

Time went by fast, Tessa had learned in the cruelest way possible. Magnus occasionally stopped by at the London Institute and they occasionally talked about it in hushed whispers alone. Each visit, he would remind her: "_Send me a message, and I will be with you at once_."

But usually in his visits, he would update her of his life in New York, and sometimes even teach her some of the crazy dances he'd learned in a speakeasy. She wasn't very good at it, but they were always laughing with each attempt. She had, though, improved greatly after a while.

James spun Tessa around, and they moved quickly to the fast jazz music. James soon lost his quiet demeanor and was laughing along with his mother. With each step, they both moved gracefully after years of training at the Institute's training room.

Tessa caught Will's amused gaze from the distance and she grinned at him, seeing that he was trying not to.

She and James moved around, grabbing hands and taking a wide step back, before joining once again and spinning around the room.

Lucie was watching them, beaming with a drink in her hand. Cordelia was, too, with a fond smile when watching James.

"Who's she?" Tessa asked as she saw a girl with ivory hair and unearthly gray eyes watching James with an almost indignant expression, clinging on to who Tessa could only recognize as Christopher Lightwood, Cecily and Gabriel's son. She was absolutely gorgeous, and Tessa was immediately jealous, even though the girl was younger than her.

James's golden eyes, the ones that resembled the burning of a candle, seemed to have died out. "Not anyone we should care about," said James merely, a small frown on his face before lighting up to a smile once again. He spun her around again, the hem of her dress flowing about, exposing her thighs for just barely a second before dropping back to her legs.

Her curly hair, cut to her shoulders, was bouncing against her skin as she danced. The saxophones completely stopped and there were only drums beating, causing goosebumps to rise on Tessa's skin. James took that brief moment song to do a little solo, swinging around and tapping his feet on the ground. Tessa giggled, her hips rocking side to side and just watching him before doing her own little solo herself. James clapped for her, and the saxophones joined in once again, before ending on a final note.

Everyone in the room applauded and whistled and the band took small bow, before playing another song. Tessa was breathless at that point, and James was grinning that grin of pure joy she saw when he was only a child, and his eyes were glowing.

He shared the next dance, the song being softer and slower, with Cordelia and Tessa moved across the room to Will, panting.

He was looking down at her with a smile painted on his lips. "I didn't know you could dance like that," said Will.

Tessa laughed once, before replying simply with, "Magnus helped me." She looked up at him, her eyes lighting with amusement. "I can teach you, if you like."

Will tossed his head back with a sound of protest. "By the Angel, I'd never be able to learn."

"I just so happen to be an excellent teacher," said Tessa, and she grabbed his hand. "I'll teach you now. This song isn't particularly fast."

"Perhaps not, but I'll never be able to keep up with you," Will said matter-of-factly, but nevertheless walking with her to the center of the room.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "It's a slow song. We can just do a waltz, if you like. It would not matter." He shrugged and took her hand in his and her other arm wrapped around his neck with his other around her waist. He was leading, so Tessa moved with him, swaying gently. She closed her eyes after he slowly spun her around, and pulled her closer to him.

Her eyes opened, and saw Will staring at her with love shining through his eyes. Tessa smiled, and he mouthed, "_I love you, Tess_."

"I love you, too, Will," she said back, kissing him softly on the mouth, and then pulled back, her head resting on his chest, squeezing his hand once not even thinking about the fact that she had kissed him in public.

When the song was over, the two of them sat down at the tables, drinking wine and occasionally watching Lucie's children trying to get her to dance. Cordelia and James were quietly conversing and joking. Cordelia kept him happy, Tessa noticed. She dragged him out of his depressed mood when they were to be engaged. It was wonderful, seeing Jamie happy.

"Those little..." Will tried to find the right word, "_hellions _are going to end up mauling her," he said in horror. Lucie's small children were clawing at her legs and she was scolding them.

Tessa laughed. "They're pecking at her."

"Like ducks," Will said cheerfully. She playfully shoved his arm, and he looked pleased with himself.

"I've never understood your obsession with hating ducks," said Tessa, curiously arching an eyebrow. Will sighed and cleared his throat.

He told her, "Well, one time, while I was living in Wales, I was feeding the ducks, and this beady-eyed one _bit_ me, the little bloodthirsty beast—"

"William, are you about to tell her _that_ blasted story? Leave the poor girl alone." Tessa turned her head and saw Cecily Herondale, who was now a Lightwood.

He looked irritated by her use of the name William. They knew she only said it to annoy him. "She's my _wife_," Will said, and Tessa smiled, lightly touching the bracelet he'd given to her on their wedding day. Not being fully-Shadowhunter, she couldn't receive the runes, so she wore them on a bracelet. On their thirtieth anniversary he had the bracelet redesigned with pearls to commemorate the years. "Where's the Lightworm?" he asked, a hint of a smirk present.

"Will!" Tessa exclaimed in a scolding tone, the way she'd always do when he mentioned the dreaded nickname.

Cecily scowled, but then said, "He is chatting with Gideon."

"Ah," Will said shortly. "So, why have you decided to grace us with your presence?" Tessa sent Will a warning look, and he grinned.

She crossed her arms. "Why? I can't talk to my brother anymore?"

He shook his head. "Never mind."

She took a seat next to Tessa, smoothing out her dress. "It's really nice seeing you, Cecily," Tessa said, smiling.

Cecily looked over to her, and nodded. "Yes, it's been far too long."

"You and Gabriel could've come to the Institute," Will pointed out.

"We would've been delighted to have you," Tessa added.

"Next time," Cecily promised, pushing back loose dark strands of hair. "Well, I suppose I'll be off, then. Gabriel and I were just about to leave."

Tessa looked up, knitting her eyebrows in confusion. The party had started not too long ago. "So soon?" she inquired.

Will's sister nodded, looking down. "Unfortunately, yes. We just want to say good-bye to you both and our children before we go."

She bent down to hug her brother, giving him a peck on the cheek before she let go, and gave a quick hug to Tessa also.

"We'll see you soon," said Tessa. And then she went after Gabriel, and Tessa saw them minutes later with Alexander, Christopher, and Anna Lightwood, saying their farewells. Perhaps they did say good-bye when departing back _home_ instead of a hunting trip or the like. If not, they must've completely forgotten. _Mizpah_, Tessa heard Jem saying in the back of her head, and her chest ached with an overwhelming sadness.

She leaned back in her chair. The band took a bit of a break before, allowing people to converse with others, and they'd just returned, this time with a cello and some violin players.

"So," Tessa said suddenly, "how about you finish your duck story?" She wanted to be distracted from the thoughts of Jem, and she wholeheartedly wanted to hear the cause of his hatred for ducks.

Will grinned at her. "Where was I?"

"The 'little bloodthirsty beast', as I recall," she told him.

"Ah, yes." And he explained, leaving Tessa to laugh at his grand and over dramatic way of telling stories for the rest of the night.

* * *

**A/N:** _I tried. I'm gonna leave you guys with a few more stories just to keep you all satisfied for when I go to San Francisco tomorrow. I hope you all enjoyed! If you did, please review and favorite the story :) They keep me inspired to write so thank you all. _

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own The Infernal Devices or TLH. They characters are all owned by Cassandra Clare. _


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